Since 1973, the rise of cellular phones have been the fastest growing technology phenomenon ever. The technology that 95% of Americans have in their pockets are a huge part of everyday life. From being able to stay updated through email and social media, to using the GPS to drive to your next vacation, smartphones have changed their positioning from being a piece of tech to being a necessity for connections. As technology continues to advance, people regularly replace their cracked screens for the newest upgrade, throwing out a phone that simply needs a repair. With the large role that cellular phones have in our lives, it makes sense to not want to go a day without a working phone. When our phones don’t function, we don’t either. But why replace expensive technology when it can be repaired for less?
Smartphone ownership has more than doubled in less than a decade. While 95% of adults aged 18-29 own a smartphone, many people own multiple smart-devices. Between 2010-2018, tablet ownership increased by sixteen times and one in five households owned at least three tablets. Smartphones and devices are everywhere around us. As Russell Clayton described it, technologies such as smartphones “are capable of becoming an extension of ourselves,” and can cause psychological effects when we are separated from or have broken them. When surveyed, two in three people admitted to anxiety when away from their phone. The anxieties are understandable considering how essential phones are to much of modern life. Other than being a tool to connect with and contact family and friends, many Americans use their smartphone to help when looking for work. Browsing job listings, contacting potential employers, filling out job applications, or even creating a resume are all made more convenient with the help of a smartphone. Mobile phones can also be critical in work performance with 52% of people unable to effectively do their job without their phone. A working smartphone is one that brings comfort to the user, and buying a brand new phone provides that same security. But even if they are a necessity to ward off anxieties or FOMO, upgrading costs continue to skyrocket.
Americans throw away over 350,000 cell phones per day. The most common forms of damage are cracked screens, scratches, and battery malfunctions and 49% of damage comes from falling out of a pocket. While 48% of smartphone owners don’t like the look of screen protection on their phones, it may be a good idea to avoid accidental structural damage and not be one of the two American smartphone owners that break their screen every second. Phones that have dead or malfunctioning batteries also can interrupt everyday activities. It can lead to delayed departure to an event to charge, going home to charge phone, arguments with significant others over missed communication, and spending money at a restaurant solely to use their outlet. Some manufacturing flaws may be the reason for a poor phone battery, but oftentimes a battery malfunction does not require a completely new phone and can be replaced simply. It’s possible to save your phone while also saving yourself money.
Next time your phone is broken, try repairing it yourself with the help of online tutorials. If the fix is too complicated, visit a repair shop. Saving the phone you already have saves you money while also decreasing the amount of electronic waste that comes from frequent upgrades and discarding. Our phones hold a lot of our lives within them - being smart and caring for them will cause you to not waste money on new models every year. To learn more about the roles our phones play in our lives, check out the infographic below.
Read next: Smartphones Are Replacing All the Other Electronic Gadgets in Our Daily Life
Smartphone ownership has more than doubled in less than a decade. While 95% of adults aged 18-29 own a smartphone, many people own multiple smart-devices. Between 2010-2018, tablet ownership increased by sixteen times and one in five households owned at least three tablets. Smartphones and devices are everywhere around us. As Russell Clayton described it, technologies such as smartphones “are capable of becoming an extension of ourselves,” and can cause psychological effects when we are separated from or have broken them. When surveyed, two in three people admitted to anxiety when away from their phone. The anxieties are understandable considering how essential phones are to much of modern life. Other than being a tool to connect with and contact family and friends, many Americans use their smartphone to help when looking for work. Browsing job listings, contacting potential employers, filling out job applications, or even creating a resume are all made more convenient with the help of a smartphone. Mobile phones can also be critical in work performance with 52% of people unable to effectively do their job without their phone. A working smartphone is one that brings comfort to the user, and buying a brand new phone provides that same security. But even if they are a necessity to ward off anxieties or FOMO, upgrading costs continue to skyrocket.
Americans throw away over 350,000 cell phones per day. The most common forms of damage are cracked screens, scratches, and battery malfunctions and 49% of damage comes from falling out of a pocket. While 48% of smartphone owners don’t like the look of screen protection on their phones, it may be a good idea to avoid accidental structural damage and not be one of the two American smartphone owners that break their screen every second. Phones that have dead or malfunctioning batteries also can interrupt everyday activities. It can lead to delayed departure to an event to charge, going home to charge phone, arguments with significant others over missed communication, and spending money at a restaurant solely to use their outlet. Some manufacturing flaws may be the reason for a poor phone battery, but oftentimes a battery malfunction does not require a completely new phone and can be replaced simply. It’s possible to save your phone while also saving yourself money.
Next time your phone is broken, try repairing it yourself with the help of online tutorials. If the fix is too complicated, visit a repair shop. Saving the phone you already have saves you money while also decreasing the amount of electronic waste that comes from frequent upgrades and discarding. Our phones hold a lot of our lives within them - being smart and caring for them will cause you to not waste money on new models every year. To learn more about the roles our phones play in our lives, check out the infographic below.
Read next: Smartphones Are Replacing All the Other Electronic Gadgets in Our Daily Life